LOS ANGELES, CA (Universal
Music Enterprises) - On February 24th, Hip-O Select.com, a division of Universal
Music Enterprises, will release the fourth volume of "The Complete Motown Singles." The new installment, entitled "The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 4: 1964," showcases the early history of the classic soul label on a 6-CD, 163-track set. It will feature the A-side and B-side of every single released by Motown (and its subsidiaries) during the label's sixth year of existence; this volume is highlighted by hits - from The Temptations, The Marvelettes, Martha & The Vandellas, Brenda Holloway,
Marvin Gaye and more, plus a few fascinating obscurities. This collection will not be available at traditional retail; it will be sold exclusively online at www.hip-oselect.com and via Apple's iTunes site for electronic download.
The release is the latest phase of a plan that extends through 2009, with Hip-O Select issuing further volumes covering all of Motown's single releases during its tenure in Detroit. The label moved to Los Angeles in 1972.
"We've had a tremendous response to the first three volumes of the series from critics and fans alike," says Bruce Resnikoff, President, UMe. "Motown encompasses a rich musical legacy, and we're giving it the care and attention it deserves."
"In 1964, Motown becomes an international phenomenon," says Pat Lawrence, Senior Vice-President, UMe. "The Supremes, the Temptations, Martha & The Vandellas, Brenda Holloway and Marvin Gaye are everywhere... the Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and production team define 'The Motown Sound.'"
Packaging for the set resembles a scaled-down 78-rpm-era "album," with cardboard sleeves to hold each of the discs, and 132 pages of rare photos and notes. Each box will feature an actual reproduction 45 rpm single of The Supremes' smash, "Where Did Our Love Go" b/w "He Means The World To Me." The new volume includes a historical overview by Dr. Todd Boyd, a Detroit native and today the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture at the USC School of Cinema-Television, as well as a personal chronicle from Janie Bradford, a Motown songwriter who was the company's front desk receptionist that year. Track-by-track annotations have been written by noted soul authors Bill Dahl and Keith Hughes, with assistance by UMe VP Harry Weinger, who has overseen the project.
"This year at Motown begins with the Temptations busting open with 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' and ends with the release of their iconic 'My Girl,' and in between is triumph after triumph," says Weinger. "The Supremes have three No. 1 hits in a row, becoming the company's symbol of success; the Four Tops break through; the Beatles cover Motown songs; Motown is heard and seen around the world. Yet as this volume shows, the company was still wading into several different music styles, including country with the Mel-O-Dy label and pure pop with JoAnne & The Triangles. It's fascinating, musically exciting, and a thrill to listen to and read along."
Only 8000 copies of this limited-edition box set will ever be manufactured. It is available exclusively on the web at www.HipOSelect.com.
Hip-O Select is Universal Music Group's newest imprint, launched on April 1, 2004. Selling directly to consumers exclusively through its website, the label has released over ninety projects featuring artists ranging from Johnny Ace to Stomu Yamashta. Hip-O Select received special recognition from the Mojo Honours in 2005 for its reissue program, as well as the Mojo magazine Reggae Reissue Of The Year award in 2004. KCRW's Music Newsletter says, "Hip-O Select have quickly made a name for themselves as the premier reissue label."
